The Matchmaker (28 page)

Dish towel in hand, Hannah stood close to her so that others could not overhear. “It’s a bit shocking, isn’t it?” She picked up a plate and began wiping.

“Ja
, I should say so!” Emma whispered back. “First Paul, now Francis! Surprises seem plentiful this season!” She tried to keep her words and tone light.

Leaning against the kitchen counter, Hannah crossed her arms over her chest and studied Emma. There was a look of concern upon her face. “Are you all right with it, then?”

“With what?” She decided to play ignorant.

“Francis and Jane!”

Emma rinsed another plate and frowned. “With their
announcement? I have no problem with Francis marrying Jane. I do believe it’s a bit sudden, but as I continue to learn, it’s not my place to interfere.”

Hannah’s eyes widened as she pondered Emma’s words. “But that’s not true!”

“That I shouldn’t interfere?” Emma laughed out loud at that thought.

“Nee
,
nee!
” Once again, Hannah leaned forward, a quick glance around to ensure that no one might be able to eavesdrop. “I just overheard Alice telling others that Francis and Jane were secretly engaged all along! It’s the very reason they both came back to Lititz! To meet his father and announce their wedding! But
mayhaps
their announcement was delayed when Francis met you and saw how his father hoped for an attachment between the two of you.” Hannah gave Emma a sly look, as if congratulating herself on her subtle reasoning. “I reckon he didn’t want to disappoint his
daed
.”

But Hannah’s explanation left Emma stunned. How could Francis do such a thing to Jane? Truly it must be a terrible burden to always be playing for the smiles and approval of whatever audience he happened to entertain, never mind how inconsistent and even untrustworthy that might make him appear once the truth emerged.

“And how did Alice know about the engagement?” It was a question that, once spoken, did not require an answer. Certainly Francis would have approached the bishop in advance of the worship service. The bishop would have interviewed him, asking questions about the upcoming union between the two. That information, apparently, had been shared with Paul, who, in turn, informed his
fraa.
“Oh, my!” Emma whispered, her eyes scanning the gathering as she sought out Alice.

She was seated at the table already, for the elderly and married women ate before the younger, single ones. From Emma’s vantage point, she could see that Alice was engaged in a lively conversation, although from the looks of it, it was mostly Alice talking and everyone else listening. Surely she was retelling the story, eager to let everyone know that she, Alice Esh, had known before everyone else. Her position in the small community was clearly established: the new
dochder
of the bishop was the first to know the secret happenings in the
g’may
.

Disgusted, Emma looked away.

“I suspect his
daed
isn’t too happy,” Hannah said softly.

“Why ever not?” Emma didn’t understand what there was for anyone to be unhappy about. “Jane’s a nice enough woman,” she added, omitting her opinion that she was rather dull and more than vague when she spoke. A thought dawned on her that,
mayhaps
, the vague conversation had been due to the secret engagement. The less said, the less chance of divulging what was best left unsaid.

Hannah looked equally as surprised. “He was rather attentive to you, ain’t so?”

“No more so than to you, I reckon,” Emma said defensively.

A blush covered Hannah’s cheeks. “You know where my interests lie,” she murmured, a reminder that caused Emma to freeze.

Their conversation abruptly ended when one of the women thrust a coffee carafe at Hannah and indicated that she should go refill the men’s coffee, a task Hannah readily accepted. Emma shut her eyes, taking a deep breath as she tried to regain her calm. She simply wasn’t ready for facing the inevitable: surely Gideon and Hannah’s banns would be
announced at the next worship service.
At least
, she thought,
I have two weeks to prepare myself.

“Emma!”

She glanced over her shoulder, surprised to see Anna approaching her, a look of determination on her face.

“Why aren’t you seated?” Emma asked, gesturing with a nod of her head toward the women’s table. “You should be having dessert, Anna. I saw that Martha brought her apple strudel . . . ”

Anna waved her hand and cut off Emma. “I’m finished and didn’t feel up to visiting much.” Abruptly she grabbed a dish towel and began to help Emma with the cleanup.

Every dish, plate, and utensil needed to be washed for the second sitting. It was busy work that Emma was thankful for today. Once the after-prayer was said over the meal for the first serving, a flurry of women would clear any remaining dishes and wipe down the table cloths in order to set it for the second group of people who needed to have their noon meal. Emma, however, wasn’t feeling very hungry and had already decided to slip out the door when that happened.

“How are you feeling?”

Emma’s heart sank.
Oh
,
no
, she thought.
Not Anna too.
“I feel just fine,” she replied slowly. “Why do you ask?”

“Why, the announcement about Francis, of course! Are you all right, then?”

“Ja
,” she replied nonchalantly, deflecting Anna’s concern. “Of course. I mean, it’s a bit shocking, I reckon. Being so sudden and all, although I understand that they were acquainted in Ohio . . . ”

“Shocking indeed!” Shaking her head and clucking her tongue, Anna agreed with Emma, her disappointment in the clandestine way with which Francis had conducted
himself more than apparent. “His
daed
was beside himself last night. To think, the deception that Samuel felt! After all these years, he had been so excited that his son was coming home only to find out that it wasn’t because of him wanting to be near his
daed
but to marry Jane!”

Emma didn’t quite understand why this would be so upsetting. She repeated her sentiments about Jane. “She’s a pleasant enough young woman. I should think Samuel would be happy.”

“I reckon,” Anna said dismissively. “He just feels deceived. Why did Francis hide this from us? And to pretend that he didn’t even know her and behave so solicitous toward others? Why, Samuel and I, we had been so hopeful . . . ” She too left her sentence unfinished and glanced away, a look of embarrassment upon her face.

Ah
, Emma thought, realizing what Anna was insinuating. Her cousin’s genuine concern for her feelings touched Emma. She reached out to touch Anna’s arm and smiled. “I do not feel deceived, if that is what you mean,” she said. “And I’m truly happy for the two of them. If I had felt any interest in Francis, it was short-lived and mostly as a friend, anyway.”

With a sigh of relief Anna smiled. “Oh, Emma! We were so worried,” she admitted. “His
daed
and I, that is. You do know that Francis’s attention toward you did not go unnoticed by many, including us.”

“I can assure you that his attention to any of the young women was never inappropriate,” Emma quickly suggested. Then, as the severity of the situation began to sink in, she frowned. It was one thing to be secretive but another to be deceptive, she thought as she recalled the uncomfortable discussion she had with Francis on the Esh’s porch during a recent gathering. “Although I do question the extent of his
trickery. He even went so far as to comment negatively about Jane to me!”

Anna shook her head and averted her eyes, ashamed for her stepson’s behavior and unable to speak.

Emma continued. “I can’t imagine the pain that Jane must have felt, not only hiding their relationship but having him try so hard to hide it so publicly!” Another image came to her mind of the previous Sunday. Francis had been so attentive to her and come up with that silly game, focusing so much on Emma when his true interest lay elsewhere. All the while, Emma realized, Jane had sat there, watching as Francis ignored her, despite the fact that they had been secretly courting. “Although it is no wonder Jane did not wish to see me the other day when I went visiting.”

Anna nodded her head, agreeing with what Emma implied. Indeed, while Francis was a friendly and outgoing young man, it was most uncomely for him to have paid so much attention to anyone, especially if he was courting another.

Emma shook the image from her mind. It was too close to the other image that had haunted her all week: the look on Gideon’s face when she had spoken so rudely to Hetty. She cringed at the memory and tried to focus on Anna instead. “Anyway,” she said, “truly I greet the news with joy for the newly engaged couple.”

“Such a relief!” Anna whispered happily, reaching out to gently squeeze Emma’s arm. “Samuel and I were both so worried. The last thing either of us wanted was to see you hurt.”

Emma responded with a light laugh. “He may have taken advantage of our friendship,” she admitted, “but he most certainly did not injure me.”

Indeed, she knew that it would take more than Francis Wagler to hurt her, that was for sure and certain. Her eyes scanned the table of seated men and fell upon Gideon. Despite still being single, his age permitted him to sit with the other married men. He was deep in conversation with them, listening to a man seated next to him. Hannah was refilling their coffee cups, lingering beside Gideon for a moment longer than necessary.

If Emma had originally suspected that he had interest in Jane, she now knew otherwise. He was actively engaged in conversation, no hint of disappointment or heartbreak upon his face.

As Emma watched, Hannah touched his shoulder to indicate that he should pass his coffee cup to her. To Emma’s dismay, he smiled at Hannah, his face bright and cheerful. He said a few words to her, words that made Hannah laugh softly, a demure gesture that suggested a certain degree of intimacy that caused Emma to catch her breath. His eyes flickered in her direction, and when he caught sight of her, he smiled briefly before returning his attention to Hannah as she handed him the refilled cup.

Emma looked away, forcing herself to refocus on washing the dishes that were piling up by the counter.

Ja
, she thought as she handed a clean but wet plate to the woman next to her. Since the Yoder’s pond incident, Emma had finally come to realize that
mayhaps
, as far as she was concerned, there was more to her relationship with Gideon than just friendship. Maybe it was his reaction to her harsh words toward Hetty that had finally opened her eyes and her heart. No, she did not want to lose Gideon. She hadn’t allowed herself to fall in love with anyone before because she did not want these feelings to come between herself and her
daed. Mayhaps
not even between Gideon and her. Indeed, she was content with the status quo, where celibacy allowed her to keep tending for
Daed
while enjoying Gideon’s almost daily visits. But now, faced with the prospect of losing him to Hannah, she felt a terrible knot forming in her throat. It was not the announcement of the wedding banns for Francis and Jane that would hurt her, indeed.

Chapter Eighteen

T
HE
S
UNDAY AFTERNOON
sun was starting its descent in the sky when she heard the all-too-familiar sound of a horse and buggy pulling into their driveway.

Emma had been sitting down, reading a devotional book. The Bible verse for that day was rather fitting:

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,

on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death

and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord;

he is our help and our shield.

In him our hearts rejoice,

for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,